EXAMPLE - Persuasive Interpretation

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Task Example

Student Name
Date
Persuasive Interpretation of: The Faceless Teacher
ORACLE Think Quest Foundation
http://www.rscc.cc.tn.us/owl&writingcenter/OWL/Faceless.html

The essay, “The Faceless Teacher,” is an excellent example of persuasive writing. The author appeals to both emotion and reason when writing this essay. When he writes, “The blank countenance of the computer screen, the faceless teacher, is a frightening prospect of education’s on-line future,” the reader can feel the emotion. He also appeals to reason when he argues that, “A student enters the classroom to learn, and another human being must provide the nuance, the animation, and the conscious feedback--in short, the simple bioactivity--to stimulate a student’s mind.”

It is obvious that the author is passionate about the importance of face-to-face contact between student and teacher, but he shows that he understands the other point of view also. He acknowledges that on-line classes can work in certain cases. He says, “However, there are prospective students who, due to uncontrollable forces, find that a Web course is their only means of education. In this unfortunate circumstance, the concession must be given that any education at all is preferable to ignorance.”

“The Faceless Teacher,“ is so well written that I have been convinced that on-line classes are not as effective as face-to-face classes. The author is convincing when he talks about how important the teacher and other students are for quality learning. I thought that on-line classes were inevitable, but I now feel that they could have a negative impact on learning. I couldn't agree more when the author said, “Machines work well with machines and people work best with other people. The human race is composed of a web of social animals. Human contact is essential for the development of quality minds.”